How To Replace a Tie Rod in a VW Beetle

A tie rod, though a very small component of your precious VW Beetle, is a very important part of the wheel. If it turns out to be damaged, your Beetle will no longer be able to track straight. If this happens to you, do not worry that much. The problem can be easily solved in as easy as replacing the tie rod. And what is even better news for you is that you can do this replacement easily yourself. Here, check out these steps to guide you in your tie rod replacement task:

Pick the right replacement tie rod for your VW Beetle. You must purchase a tie rod in accordance with the model and year of your VW Beetle. Also, do not forget that the tie rod need is different depending on the kind of your engine. Regular, turbo, and diesel engines require different kinds of tie rod. Hence, check out what kind of tie rod you need for your vehicle. It is best to check the owner's manual so you can be certain what kind of rod you have to get for the replacement task.

Remove the wheels off the VW Beetle. Grab your lug nut wrench to help you in loosening the lug nuts in the wheels. Then, jack the Beetle up and then remove the wheels once ready. Once done, plug or cap the fluid line connections in the steering gear.

Clean the Beetle's power steering gear. Make sure that you clean out the outside parts of the steering gear. This is most especially true for the boot area. Once you are done cleaning the gear, slide back the boot by simply opening the clamp.

Detach the old tie rod from your VW Beetle. Tighten first the steering gear. Then, unscrew the rod from its connecting rod so you can detach it. Before you detach the rod, you can study how it is installed in the gear. This way, you can be guided on what to do when installing the new rod in place.

Attach the replacement rod into the steering gear. Grab your new tie rod and attach it to the steering gear. Make sure to tighten the rod to around 55 foot pounds.

Get the boot examined for damage. Do a careful examination of the boot so you can be certain that there are no cuts or tears. Also, be very certain that the boot area is as clean as necessary.

Tighten the clamp to finish the process. Turn first the tie rod in order for the ball joint shank to face the right direction. Once done, tighten the clamp using hose clamp pliers and then install the power steering gear. Reconnect the Beetle's wheel and tighten the lug nuts to seal off the process.

Repeat the steps for replacing the other rod. The moment you are successful with the first tie rod replacement, work on the other rod. Follow the same steps in successfully replacing the second tie rod.

Replacing a tie rod is something that you can already do yourself. You no longer need to bother calling a mechanic to do this for you. This way, you will save a lot of your time and also your money. Hence, no matter when and where you see the need for the replacement of the Beetle's tie rod, you can always rely on yourself in doing this task for your VW Beetle.